Chain Reaction
by FracturedMirror
Summary: The Heart Pirates were surprised to learn that their Captain had physical interest in the headstrong Eustass Kid. It's quite the adjustment when they crews begin to meet while the two Captains 'visit'. Penguin finds himself musing on how this all came to happen, and has his thoughts interrupted by Kid's unconventional first mate, Killer. KillerxPenguin. Mentions of KidLaw.
1. Chapter 1

Chain Reaction

His pen tapped against the table in perfect rhythm against the kitchen table. He had been slaving over the charts. Or at least he had been trying. He couldn't help but think of how things had taken such an unexpected turn.

He and Shachi couldn't contain their excitement that first night at some no name bar. Smoke hung heavily in the air, and spirits were at an all-time high. Booze flowed freely and there wasn't a marine in sight. He supposed that was why the tactless Kid Pirates weren't starting any fights.

He gave a few enthusiastic pats to his friend's back when he started choking on his drinks. Shachi had noticed before Penguin. It seemed a rather drunk Eustass was hitting on their captain. He really thought the captain was going to cut off Eustass' hand when it traveled on his hip. But Law just gave a small chuckle accompanied by a smirk. Law turned to whisper something to the redhead. He gave a thunderous round of laughter. Law had always been so averse to forming bonds outside the crew that even this small gesture with Kid had come as a surprise.

Penguin jumped. Shachi had snatched the hat right off his head and rounded the kitchen counter. He supposed that was what he got for spacing out in the Heart Pirate cook's domain. He could clearly tell that the navigator was thinking about something, possibly too hard.

He sighed and stood up abruptly, the chair scraping against the flooring in an unnerving manner. Shachi lifted his head to give Penguin a mischievous look, "What, Pen? Missing something?" he waved the silly hat around, causing an exasperated sigh from his crewmate.

"Give me that. The Captain is going to kill you for horsing around. You know we're expecting some… Guests. How do you think he'll feel if you end up burning the food?" Penguin crossed his arms defiantly staring down the goofball.

That sure did the trick. Shachi's face fell. He had never had a poker face. He rolled his eyes and muttered, 'Killjoy' before tossing the hat across the kitchen. Penguin had almost regretted his choice to sit in the kitchen while he worked, but he felt so much more comfortable when he had company. He had known Shachi even before joining the Heart Pirates. And the guy sure knew how to fill the silence.

He put his hat back on haphazardly. It always got so cold inside the submarine. That's why practically every member wore a hat. Now it was just weird not to wear the silly thing. His nakama had spotted it in a shop window. Shachi had excitedly said that he should get the ridiculous garment. It even had his name on it! He kind of rolled his eyes, but he found himself walking into the shop for it when the captain muttered in agreement. Bepo enthusiastically clapped his hands and cried that it was perfect! Bepo really did act like a giant kid sometimes. Oh well. At least his had better sense that to buy a teal and pink puffy hat. Unlike some people.

He sat back down at the table and looked at his maps. A glance to his watch showed him that he hadn't really accomplished anything for the past hour. That wasn't really his fault. This entire situation was bizarre. At first he had thought that perhaps his captain was interested in a partnership with Eustass Kid. It wouldn't be a bad move. Sure, he had an awful temper, but he was really strong. He also wasn't a /complete/ idiot. So of course his captain could find some use for him.

He hadn't really expected the use he had found for the younger supernova. There were murmurs, but he didn't actually think that they had been… Knocking boots. He and the rest of the crew put the Captain on a pedestal, but he of course had natural urges. He didn't realize that the brazen Kid had been his type.

As a side effect there had been many visitations between the crews. At first it was pretty awkward. The crews were… Very different. He had tried to voice his concerns in the beginning, but they were met with a very strict, 'If I had wanted your advice on the subject, I would've asked for it' accompanied by a look that was less angry and more 'You aren't my mother. Please refrain from acting like it.'

Loud footsteps echoed above them. Well, the guests were here. Penguin rolled his eyes. Even Jean Bart didn't make that much noise boarding. The Kid Pirates really are something else. He snatched up his maps, tools and book and shoved them as carefully as he could into one of the kitchen drawers. He ignored the cook's frantic yelling, 'Hey! You can't put those there!' and ran up to the deck. Shachi could obviously stay below deck, but Law would probably find it impolite of Penguin to stay hidden off somewhere. He was pretty sure he was supposed to make sure no fights broke out while the two captains were alone. Even though it should've been Bepo's job as first mate, it wasn't the type of thing anyone expected the poor bear to be capable of.

As soon as he reached the deck his suspicions were confirmed. He could see many of the crewmembers of the Kid Pirates. It was easy to spot them. They all looked more like they were members of a heavy metal band then a pirate crew. Although he didn't see the flame haired captain he knew that he had been there. His trademark googles had abandoned on the floor probably lost as a result of a 'struggle'. He smiled and shook his head. He knew from experience that this was going to be a long night.

"I'm sorry about our captain. When he sets his mind to something he really can be quite impossible," Penguin jumped at the sudden presence, his entire body tensing.

The Navigator forced himself to calm down and face the owner of the deep baritone. He wasn't surprised to see the blond first mate of the Kid Pirates. He was surprised to see that he had changed. Penguin hadn't thought it was been that long since he had last seen the man. It seemed as if Killer had cut off some of his hair. While it was still thick and completely wild, it now only went down to his ass. Before he had looked so slim that he was awkwardly unsure of his gender. Now he had gained enough muscle mass that Penguin was sure that the only reason his shirt was unbuttoned was because he could no longer close it. He got a real eyeful of the multiple scars that covered his toned body. He really hoped his gaze hadn't lingered too long on his chest.

Almost losing track of the conversation Penguin clumsily replied, "That's fine. I don't think our captain minds it too much."

Killer gave a deep chuckle and leaned against the railing of the deck. Penguin wasn't sure if he had ever heard the other man laugh before. It was surprisingly nice. As he thought back to his captain, he supposed that he really liked the sound of a deep voice.

The blond gave a bit of a sigh, "At first I really thought your captain was up to something. I thought, 'Trafalgar is just using Kid's lust to manipulate him. This is going to be one of those things that just blows up in his face.'"

Penguin had to stifle a laugh. He had never heard the normally distant blond speak so freely. It was obvious how close he was to his captain by the way he had completely dropped formalities, "And why are you telling me this?"

He made a sound that was somewhat between a laugh and a sigh, "Because I'm honestly starting to think I might've been wrong about it."

Penguin felt a little guilty considering that was one of his first thoughts about the situation, but he knew he shouldn't feed the man's paranoia. It was a pretty well-known by this point that Killer was the rational one, and Kid generally took what he said pretty seriously. The Navigator could be certain that there was a pretty heated debate on the subject of 'Trafalgar Law' between the two of them.

"What made you change your mind?" he asked as he leaned against the same railing, trying to discern the man's mood by body language. Penguin quickly gave into the fact that he was nearly impossible to read.

He shook his head. His hair made this simple gesture quite impressive, "The way Trafalgar pretty much attacked him when we boarded. He's always been more reserved than that. I guess Kid's not the only one that has been affected by this."

At first he tensed when he heard the word 'attacked', but as soon as he figured out the context he gave a dry cough. His captain did that? Man. He would've paid to see that. Even if he told Shachi, he'd never believe him.

He was pretty sure of the answer as he eyed the mask that always covered the blond's face, but he figured he should ask, "Do you want something to drink? We're probably going to be here for a while."

Killer stayed silent for a moment, and then nodded his head. That was more the Killer that Penguin was used to. Almost statuesque. But there was always a sense of danger around him. His reputation was well-known. He obeyed his captain and anyone who threatened him would be put down like dogs.

Penguin decided to lead him down to the kitchen. He was sure that Shachi was hard at work, but he felt like Killer was kind of opening up. And the best way to get to know another pirate? Drinking. And lots of it.

As soon as the galley door opened he could hear Shachi muttering to himself. When the cook saw Penguin he angrily gestured towards the cabinet, but all comments died in his throat when he saw Killer standing behind him. He tilted his head curiously, before running back to his work.

He grabbed a few glasses and walked to the cask sitting in the galley. The rest were in storage. Although Shachi was somewhat of a scatterbrain, he was almost obsessed with keeping his kitchen tidy.

He handed a rather full glass of rum to his companion and sat at the table. And waited. He had to admit that he was more than a little curious as to what lay underneath that mask of his. 

He expected him to lift the mask, at least partially. Maybe not take the entire thing off. (That seemed like it would be horribly inconvenient. The thing looked uncomfortable and awkward to wear and remove) He never expected him to pull out a straw and stick it through one of the many holes in the thing. He could hear Shachi snickering, but it was unclear if he thought Killer drinking from the straw was humorous or if it was because of the look on Penguin's face about the whole situation.

It didn't seem to bother the blond either way. Penguin gave a sigh muttered 'Unbelievable' and chugged a good portion of his glass. He couldn't see the smile that appeared under the mask.

"Uh… I'm going to take this is the mess deck. I'll leave the Captain and… Uh… Mister Eustass' food separate. You guys can eat in here if you want," Shachi seemed more awkward than usual. Maybe he was uncomfortable being around Killer. Strange. He had never gotten that impression before now. In fact. It was odd that Shachi wasn't demanding that he help him serve dinner.

The cook haphazardly set the small table for the two of them, though he didn't drop a single morsel of food. Shachi picked up the last serving tray and started a brisk walk. It turned to a dash briefly after ripping the hat off his friend's head. Penguin mutely gripped at his hair and gave his friend a confused look. He choked on the air when he read a message from his friend's lips.

'You look better without it. Good luck on your date.'

He might seriously kill that moron. What was wrong with him? Sure he could appreciate certain physical attributes of Killer's, but...

"So you're a brunet?" Killer broke the silence and possibly disrupting the absurd look on Penguin's face.

He ran his fingers through his short dark hair trying in vain to fix his hat hair. Not that he got the impression that it would bother Killer. In fact, he had no clue why he was even doing it. He could tell that he was staring at him and he felt oddly self-conscious.

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Killer could feel his heart skip a beat when those bright red eyes stared him down, "Yeah. Dark hair is pretty common up in North blue."

Lighter hair was more common in South Blue. Killer had always thought that was part of what had caught Kid's attention with Trafalgar. He looked so exotic. Killer hadn't seen the appeal, but he certainly could now. He wondered if those red eyes were treated the same in the North as they were in the South. Kid had gotten hell as a child just because he had red eyes (matched with that hair) and they treated him like a demon. And that's exactly what Eustass Kid had become.

But he didn't see consuming anger in these red eyes. He was nervous. Perhaps embarrassed. They were so calm. And it gave him an unusual sense of ease. It was almost cute the way he kept fussing over his hair. He wondered what it would feel like if those fingers were combing through his hair instead.

He knew he wasn't good at socializing. He unnerved people. He observed people. He would just sit there and find out their strengths and weaknesses. The way they talked. The way they moved. It didn't matter how hard they tried to hide, Killer could always see through it. That was part of why he admired Kid. He never tried to hide anything. He didn't have to watch him. Everything could be taken at face value. He was a force of nature. So he could just talk to Kid without the danger of missing something.

As he sat there quietly he knew he was doing it again. He was unnerving his dinner companion. He knew that he had lost a few points when he snuck up on him earlier that night, but he hadn't really been trying to surprise him. He had just been sitting around the deck watching over his fellows when he saw Penguin emerge. He waited a few moments for him to catch his breath (Because he had obviously been running) and he tried to start a conversation. And he jumped. It was kind of cute. So he tried to continue the conversation. And now here he was grasping at straws for a decent subject of conversation. Preferably away from the subject of their captains roughly fornicating somewhere nearby. He'd like to find some mutual ground that didn't have to do with them.

"Are you bored?" it was a simple question. It was a common mistake when he got a little too quiet.

"No. I've been told I'm rather introverted," this wasn't something that normally bothered him, but he was a little frustrated with himself at the moment.

"There's nothing wrong with that," he said this bluntly. There was absolutely no hesitation. That meant that it was his honest opinion. But Killer didn't miss the second part that was muttered under his breath, "It'd probably be a lot easier to figure you out without that mask."

That probably wasn't true. He had always been pretty good at restraining himself. Plus there was the fact that his bangs covered his face almost as effectively as his mask. Something his crewmates would tease him about. On more than one occasion Wire had volunteered to trim his hair. He allowed him to cut a good amount of it off and he already felt a little unbalanced without it.

He didn't really have a problem with showing his face. He just wasn't really comfortable with it. People had always stared at him. Gasping, whispering. Trying to work up the nerve to ask what happened to him. Of course his face wasn't quite as scarred back then as it is now. First he just wore a bandana over his face. After he met Kid, the little twelve year old brat welded him a mask. That wasn't the same one he currently wore, but he had become comfortable wearing one.

"Do you want to see my face?" it was a simple question. Killer had taken on some of his captain's bluntness over the years.

He looked shocked, with those honest eyes widened. His lips moved, but it seemed like his brain hadn't quite caught up. He scratched his head and a blush started to creep across his face.

Killer chuckled and shook his head, "It's not a trick question."

"It seems kind of like a trick question," he crossed his arms and rocked his body a little. He looked up in thought, biting his lip, "But yeah. Of course I do."

"'Of course'?" Killer repeated. He hardly saw why it would be assumed that he should be curious. Human nature, maybe?

Penguin gave a little sigh and seemed to have calmed down a small bit, "So did you just ask to see my reaction, or are you thinking about showing me?"

"I suppose if you're really that curious I wouldn't really mind," that was a lie. It would make him a little uncomfortable, but it was something he was willing to do. Although he wasn't exactly sure why.

He could see the excitement in his face, how his shoulders stiffened and he sat up straight. Bracing himself. He really was acting pretty cute. He supposed he had a hard time figuring that out with the stupid hat in the way.

He could finally sympathize with how he made people feel. He was pretty unnerved by the unrelenting stare that the brunet was sending his way. He swallowed the feeling and unfastened the mask and set it down on the table.

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At first he couldn't really see much. Apparently his bangs were as wild as the rest of his hair. He could see the lower half of his face, and probably the reason for the mask. He was heavily scarred.

Penguin cautiously leaned forward to brush the bangs away from Killer's face. If he had gotten this far already, you could bet that he'd see it through to the end. When his eyes locked with Killer's his chest tightened. He had never seen such a beautiful shade of blue and he had spent a good portion of his life staring at the sea.

If you discounted the scars, Killer's face was actually was androgynous. The scars couldn't actually take that away. Penguin found himself surprised at how breathtaking he found him. He couldn't bring himself to look away.

He still couldn't tell what the blond was thinking. He wondered what it would take to make him show some emotion. Then he noticed that Killer's lips curled into a small smile, "Would you mind if I kissed you?"

Penguin made a small sputtering noise and mumbled without thinking, "What kind of pirate won't even steal a kiss?"

Penguin squeaked when he felt a hand gripping his hair and pulling him across the table. His lips were rough, but he could feel the sparks ignite. Penguin couldn't help but give a small whimper. It was overwhelming, but exhilarating. Killer gently bit his lip. Taking the hint he shyly parted his lips. Their tongues danced so passionately that Penguin couldn't bring himself to care that he was losing the fight. How could he taste so good? It wasn't Shachi's cooking, but there was a certain spice. He fought with his brain which told him that he desperately needed oxygen. That was cut off when Killer abruptly released him for the same reason.

Penguin hadn't realized that he was now halfway laying on the table, but now as he stared at the odd man with incredible eyes he realized something. That he was going to start looking forward to the visits the same way his captain did.

A/N: I don't even know what I'm doing. For the love of god someone stop me. Beta asked where the rest of it was. So I might write a second part where they frickle frackle.


	2. Chapter 2

Chain Reaction Part 2

He didn't know the last time he felt so restless. He tried his best not to show it, but the amused look on Shachi's face said that he had failed. It had been well over a month since the two crews had been able to meet. Meeting up on the high seas were exceedingly difficult, even more so on the Grand Line. It was surprising that being away from Eustass could have an effect on Law. But it was plain to see that he was a little more snippy that usual.

That was part of the reason that Penguin was so unsure to ask Law about his next tryst with Captain Kid. Because he knew that it would be a sensitive subject. Law surely wanted to meet us with his lover more than Penguin wanted to see Killer again.

It was complicated. He wasn't sure how he felt about the blonde. He found him physically attractive. He liked talking to him. He was witty and unusual. His deep voice made his chest flutter and he couldn't stop thinking about those eyes... He groaned and banged his head against the kitchen.

He could hear Shachi's snorting laughter and he immediately lifted his head to glare at the red-head. Shachi showed no signs of remorse, simply sticking his tongue out at Penguin.

"I don't get it," it was the surprisingly sweet voice of their first mate, Bepo. "Eh? Is Penguin okay? Oh! He's sick? Should I get Captain?"

This only caused Shachi to snicker louder, "Yup, he's sick alright Bepo. Don't think the Captain will be able to help him though."

The polar bear looked affronted and responded passionately, "No, no, no! If he's sick then Captain can cure him! The Captain can cure anything!"

"Of course he can," Penguin offered diplomatically, "Shachi was just teasing. I'm not sick. I was," he paused, "It's nothing. I'm fine."

Bepo tilted his head slightly and then shook it. He wasn't very good at reading humans. A fact that he often reminded them. He started rifling through the fridge and took out a raw fish to chew on. No doubt the reason he had entered the galley in the first place. Shachi gasped and started swatting at the large bear with a spatula. At least that made the teasing stop.

"The Captain seems to be in much higher spirits this morning," Jean Bart's voice boomed through the galley effectively halting the dispute. His massive frame made the room's size look even less impressive. He was a quiet man, but he was loyal to Law. And loyalty was what mattered most on a pirate crew.

Shachi tapped the spatula against the opposite hand, smirking at Penguin across the room, "You know what that means, right?"

"I do!" Bepo yelled excitedly. When everyone looked over, waiting for him to elaborate he confessed, "Okay. No, I don't."

Penguin could feel his palms start to sweat and it had nothing to do with the ovens in the galley, "It means that The Kid Pirates are probably stopping by."

"Ding, ding, ding!" Shachi practically chirped, staring at his friend from across the room, "That means that we'll probably have a few members of his crew on board at the next port. I bet he's going to bring that first mate of his. He almost always does, right?"

Jean Bart gave Shachi a bit of a puzzled look. Probably trying to figure out why Shachi would care which members Kid brought with him. Bepo tilted his head, looking in between the crew mates. He was probably just trying to figure out why Jean Bart was confused, but he seemed to lose interest rather quickly. Penguin could feel his cheeks heating up again. Why did Shachi have to bring that up? He was embarrassed enough as it is. 

"I would imagine," Jean Bart responded eventually, "But I believe that has more to do with the first mate than his captain."

Shachi scratched his head, disrupting his hat in the process, "Why do you figure that?"

"He seems to regard our captain and crew with suspicion. Though not as much during his last visit, I'll concede," Penguin should've known that the giant would've noticed. He feels that he owes his life to Law, so he often acts as a watchdog for the Heart Pirates. Of course he would've been watching Killer. Killer openly admitted that he was sure Law had been plotting something.

Shachi openly started laughing, "Yeah. I wouldn't worry about him. I think he's starting to notice the benefits of being allies with us."

The giant looked more confused than ever and Penguin was starting to plot grievous harm to the cook. Then he considered the strict punishment he would get from the captain and the fact that the captain would have him take of Shachi's duties during his recovery... It really wasn't worth it. He didn't really know how to cook and he was sure that the rest of the crew would have no problem teasing him about it mercilessly.

"Shachi, just stop," Penguin groaned. He picked up a newspaper to try and hide his face from the other members of the crew.

Bepo shrugged, "I'm just glad that captain going to see his friend again," Shachi started cracking up at Bepo's immature characterization of Law's relationship with Eustass Kid, "I didn't really like them at first, but I trust captain's judgement."

Jean Bart nodded and looked pensive. He was no doubt scolding himself for not trusting in the captain like Bepo had. When it came to blind trust with Law, Bepo was second to none. They all trusted their captain's judgement, but sometimes you wanted reassurance. Bepo never required it.

"Too many people in the galley! Jean Bart! Can you get Bepo out of here? I don't want anyone finding polar bear hair in their lunch," he waved his spatula around dramatically. Bepo huffed and muttered, 'Oh man' as Jean Bart honored the chef's request.

As soon as they left the galley, Shachi set down the spatula and pulled to stool up next to Penguin, "So. Excited to see your boyfriend?"

"Give it a rest!" Penguin insisted, snatching the sunglasses from his friend's face.

Shachi quickly brought his hands to shield his over-sensitive eyes from the light, "Ah! That's not playing fair! Give them back!"

Penguin tossed the glasses back to his friend and he saw honey-colored eyes quickly hidden behind sunglasses, "Sheesh. Pen, you really need to chill. Get drunk," Penguin rolled his eyes, "Make-out with your boyfriend," he was regretting giving him back the sunglasses without a fight, "and get laid. That should set you right." Penguin was starting to think he might be able to tolerate cooking a few meals...

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He could hear his captain's gruff voice from the other side of the door. Kid had disappeared behind it and told Killer to wait, and he patiently waited outside the captain's quarters. He wasn't sure if the captain knew how clearly he could be heard on the other side of the door, but he rarely showed any shame. Killer figured that Kid wouldn't really care.

"Yeah," he could hear Kid swing his legs around and land his boots on his desk with a heavy 'thud', "No. Wait? Where are you?" he could hear Kid kicking his heel against the desk impatiently, "No shit? That's pretty close to where we are. Which route are you planning to take?" it was easy to determine who Kid was talking to by now.

Kid had the worst habit of dropping everything they were doing to meet up with Trafalgar. This had always bothered Killer. He was probably the only one on the crew that could get away with calling Kid on his behavior. Which normally ended up ruffling Kid's metaphorical feathers and him declaring, 'Well, I'm the captain, so fuck off! We're doing things my way!'

"Nah. That's the way we're headed too. I guess we'll be meeting up, then?" he could hear Kid's chair creak as he sat up, "Ha! You missed me then?" a normal man would've jumped when Kid's fist suddenly collided with his desk loudly. It was quickly followed by a quiet sigh and a whisper, "Yeah, well. Believe it or not, I did miss you, asshole." He sounded sincere and Killer started to feel a little guilty about eavesdropping. "Yeah. See you soon," another paused, "Yeah. Me too."

When Kid's door slammed open the next words that came from his mouth weren't a surprise, "Alright. We're changing courses."

Killer licked his lips under his mask, "You know that's a pretty hazardous decision given our location?" Despite his slight argument, Killer was starting to feel the telltale signs of excitement. He normally only felt excited before a tough fight nowadays. It was a different type of excitement all together.

"Yeah, yeah," Kid waved his hand dismissively, "I'm not an idiot. I know that much. Something came up. We need to go to Paxos."

Killer gave a sigh. It was a pain to try and change course. They were going to have to send out for a Paxos eternal pose. Something that will be very pricey and hard to negotiate for when already sailing. But there was no changing his captain's mind. And he actually found himself looking forward to seeing the Heart Pirates again. Their navigator had such a bright smile. He was so expressive. He found it captivating. He knew that he made Penguin uneasy, but he pushed himself to talk to him. And he could see him losing himself in the conversation. When his guard started melting down... He found that he wanted to see more and more. He knew that he was a pirate, but he was still bright. Still innocent in a sense. Killer had lost all shreds of his innocence long ago. There was something about him that Killer wanted to protect.

Killer shook his head. He was disappointed in himself for getting caught in his own thoughts, "I'll tell the men."

Killer began walking up to the deck to inform the men. He'd try to downplay what happened, but he was sure that the entire crew would figure it out regardless. When they got to the island and the Heart Pirates were there, no one would believe it to be coincidence.

"Killer," his captain's voice was firm. He looked back at the redhead. He had an odd look on his face. Expectant. Confused. He never had any problem reading him. But he didn't know what had confused him.

"Yes, Captain?" the blond paused at the exact spot on the stairs, patiently waiting for him to continue.

"That's really fucking weird," he ran a pale hand through his fiery hair, "You've never done that before."

Killer shook his head. He could feel his heavy hair swaying behind him, "What do you mean?"

"You normally bitch at me for an hour. You know that it's because I want to see Law. You normally go 'You shouldn't trust Trafalgar' 'Nothing but trouble with come from dealing with that man' 'You couldn't have picked a worse man to bed' 'Is it worth putting our crew at risk to spend a few hours in Trafalgar's bed?'" Kid shook his head pacing through the narrow hallway outside the captain's quarters, "But now? You folded right away. You barely said shit. Am I missing something?"

Killer knew he had always been a bit rough on Kid where Trafalgar was concerned. Eustass Kid was a violent dangerous man. But he was also reckless, childish, and had a certain naiveté. He would barrel into any given situation thinking that he was invincible. He could never lose. And that made Trafalgar a treacherous opponent. Because it was likely that he'd let Kid think that he was winning until the last second, and in that last second the surgeon was strike the fatal blow. He was rough on Kid because was scared that he wouldn't be able to protect him from Trafalgar. But he was starting to think that Trafalgar might not be the threat he had always seen him as. Killer knew that he was overprotective. But he would never give an inch when it came to his nakama.

"The realization that no matter how much I protest we'll always wind up in the same situation. I'll continue to look out for you, but we'll always end up on that submarine and you'll end up in his bed. Maybe I've decided that he might not be out to kill you," it almost physically pained him to admit that to his captain's face.

The arrogance that crossed Kid's face made him regret it even more, "What? You mean. You /don't/ think Law's the boogeyman, then?"

Killer sighed, "I never said that I thought Trafalgar was the boogeyman. If I had to liken him to a creature, I'd compare him to a siren. I thought that he was going to seduce you to ruin. I still think that, but I'm starting to give way to the fact that it might not be on purpose."

Kid gave a little chuckle and shrugged his shoulders, "So you think my dick is going to screw me over?"

Killer chuckled at the bluntness of his captain's comment, "Quite possibly."

Kid whistled and shook his head before turning to go back into his room, "Eh. I suppose I could think of worse ways to go."

The blond climbed to the top of the stairs and hollered as soon as he reached deck, "We're changing course! We're going to Paxos now. You got any problems, bring it up with the Captain."

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He couldn't concentrate. He was twirling his pen between his fingers. At least it helped with keeping his fingers dexterous. He wondered if he should just try training if he couldn't get his mind to grip onto maps. He traced his fingers over the map he had been toiling over. He knew that his productivity had gone down. Only the captain hadn't picked up on it.

A hand swiftly came in front of his face. As it reached for him, Penguin jolted up and he heard the chair buckle as he pushed backwards. He laughed as himself as he got a better look at it. Long, tan fingers with DEATH tattooed across his knuckles.

Law gave a deep chuckle, "You shouldn't be so jumpy. Stay still."

He gave his navigator a lazy smile and Penguin realized what he had been doing. He pulled off Penguin's hat and leaned against the desk. Why Law had decided to check his temperature was beyond him.

Law gripped the navigator's chin firmly, but gently. He gave a little pressure to the joint in his jaw, indicating that he wanted Penguin to open his mouth. He pulled his pen light and checked the back of his throat and then checked his eyes. He tilted his chin upwards to check inside his nose. Law was a doctor. It wasn't exactly unheard of for him to give you a check-up without warning. It was a little odd though. It hadn't been too long since Law had given the entire crew physicals.

He slipped the pen light back into the pocket of his jeans and straightened up, "How've you been feeling, lately?"

That was odd. That was definitely his 'Doctor Law' voice, "Uh... I feel fine," he felt hesitant to even respond.

Law's shoulders seemed to relax and he pulled out a chair to sit in, "That's good to hear. Can't have anything happen to our navigator. You're an unreplaceable member of this crew," Law's chest trembled with restrained laughter, "Bepo came to me quite concerned. He had apparently gotten the impression from Shachi that you were very ill."

Penguin groaned and shook his head, "I'm sorry about that Captain. Shachi was just teasing me. I'm fine."

He could instantly tell from the way his captain merely placed a hand on his forehead and leaned on the table that Jean Bart was right. Law was in high spirits. It was hard to imagine that ruffian could give Law so much comfort.

"I figured as much. I feel as though I might be missing something. I don't like it when my crew keeps secrets from me," he didn't sound upset, but Penguin knew that it was recommended that he just give in to his captain. There weren't many things that Law asked for. And Penguin was certain that he didn't want to risk upsetting the man. If he had to choose between pissing off Eustass Kid or Trafalgar Law... He would take his chances with Eustass Kid every time.

"It's nothing major Captain," he could feel the heat rising to his cheeks, "I was enjoying a conversation with Killer the last time the Kid Pirates visited. Shachi seems to have gotten it stuck in his head that I have a crush on him."

He watched the doctor take in the information. He barely reacted. The Captain was hard to read, but there were signs. His eyebrow twitched when he mentioned Killer. Most likely he was surprised. When Penguin mentioned crush... Law's lip twitched in amusement.

"Is that so? I was under the impression that Killer-ya made a point to be difficult," he sounded amused and leaned forward. Apparently this was going to turn into a conversation. Great. He wouldn't be surprised if his captain would join in with Shachi's teasing.

"Uh… Yeah," then a light clicked in his head, "He seemed to think you might not be looking to sabotage Eustass Kid because he said that you came at him pretty passionately when they arrived."

Obviously the surgeon didn't think that Penguin would try teasing him back. He ran his tongue over his lips and gave a dry laugh, "Killer-ya said that, did he?"

The navigator nodded mutely. He could swear that he saw Law's ears get a little red. It really slipped out before he could think, "You've really got it bad, huh Captain?"

Law's eyes physically widened at the brazen comment. Penguin could really kick himself for talking like that to the Captain. Normally Law was stern captain, but he was a pretty good sport. He could just be touchy with all things involving Eustass Kid.

He relaxed when Law started laughing outright. Penguin couldn't even remember the last time he heard the man laugh in earnest. He shook his head and gave a tired sigh, "And here I was fooling myself into thinking that no one had noticed."

Penguin smiled, "I know I used to talk against your relationship with Kid, but I guess it's not the worst thing that could happen."

"What a generous concession. I'm sure Eustass-ya would be positively thrilled to hear that," you couldn't ignore the curve of his lips when he said the name.

"I didn't really think that he had a lot of redeeming qualities honestly. I guess I can kind of get the physical attraction though." Did he just say that? He didn't just say that.

"Oh dear. Should I be fretting that you'll try to take Eustass-ya from me?" Law's tone was mischievous, and it matched the smirk on his face, "Although you were saying that Killer-ya was more your type."

Penguin gave a small embarrassed whimper and he hid his face from his captain, "I never said that Killer was my type..."

Law plucked the hat from his navigator head and gave a small, 'hush' and he stroked his hair. Penguin sighed and straightened up to look at his captain, who was showing such patience and compassion.

He gave a small smile, "Penguin. I really don't care if you choose to start a tryst with Killer-ya. As long as it doesn't affect your role on this ship, it's none of my business," Law placed a hand on his navigator's in a comforting manner and leaned in before he continue, "Besides. It'd be quite a comfort for me," Penguin furrowed his brows in confusion before Law finished with a sly grin, "For Killer-ya to be riding someone else for a change."

With that last comment and a groan from Penguin, Law removed his hand and left the room tossing Penguin back his hat. He should've known better that the captain that wouldn't let his earlier comment slide.

A/N: Okay. There's going to be at least one more chapter. This chapter just basically addresses the character's growing feelings and more about the KidLaw relationship in this story. And... I just really love the relationships within the crews. And oh my god. I never expected to get so many reviews for this story. You guys are really amazing!


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